


Leave Them Be

by natashasbanner



Series: Prompts [94]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 11:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18409895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natashasbanner/pseuds/natashasbanner
Summary: Tony tries to enlist Steve's help getting Bruce and Natasha to reveal the nature of the relationship, but Steve wants no part of it. That doesn't mean it isn't fun to watch him try.For the prompt: Bruce and Natasha have kept their relationship secret, and the rest of the guys are suspicious and come up with an elaborate plan to get them to spill.





	Leave Them Be

“What do you make of that?”

Steve looked up from the bowl of cereal in front of him to see Tony looking at something over his shoulder. Steve turned around and found what, or rather who, he was watching.

Natasha and Bruce were sitting together in the communal living room. They were close together, laughing. They looked happy which wasn’t always the case for the two of them and and it brought a smile to Steve’s face.

He turned back to Tony. “I don’t know.”

Tony rolled his eyes and set his coffee mug down on the counter between them.

“I think they’re boning,” he said.

“Really?” Steve sighed and shook his head.

“Don’t give me the boy scout act, Rogers, I know about you and Hill too.”

Steve nearly choked on his next bite of cereal. He stared at Tony in horror, but he was unaffected as he continued to watch Bruce and Natasha.

“Why does it matter?”

“It just does,” Tony said and took another long drink of coffee. “And I think I can get them to spill it. I just need a plan,” he paused, looking pointedly at Steve, “and an accomplice.”

Steve shook his head. “Absolutely not. Just let them be.”

Tony was silent, but Steve could practically hear the wheels turning in his head. He just hoped that whatever ridiculous scheme he came up with didn’t cause too much fallout.

* * *

He didn’t exactly agree with Tony’s methods of finding out whether or not Natasha and Bruce were together. For two weeks, he ambushed them whenever they were together to try and catch them in the act and recently he’d started cornering them alone to try and get the answers that way. From afar, Steve knew that that was futile from the beginning. If Bruce or Natasha didn’t want you to know something, there would no getting it out of them.

But just because he didn’t want any part of Tony’s schemes, didn’t mean Steve’s interest wasn’t piqued. Now that he’d been made aware of the growing closeness between the two of them. They spent more time together than not, in Banner’s lab, taking little day trips into the city, and just last week Steve thought he saw them holding hands as they got onto the elevator.

He was happy for them, glad that they were able to find a little bit of the happiness that had eluded them for so long. He was rooting for them, regardless of whether or not they were actually together.

A hand brushed over his shoulder and pulled him from his thoughts. Maria sat down at the other end of the couch. His smile was involuntary as he set aside the notebook in his lap.

“What are you doing?” she asked, crossing her legs and resting her tablet against them.

Steve shrugged and hesitated a moment as he remembered Tony’s admission that he and Maria weren’t being as discreet as they thought. Of course, his hesitation didn’t go unnoticed. Maria’s eyes narrowed slightly and he knew he’d been caught.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Steve said shaking his head. “Just thinking about something Tony said.”

She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the tablet in her lap. “I’m sure it was enlightening.”

Steve couldn’t help but laugh.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as Maria tapped away at her tablet. Steve watched her for a moment before he spoke up again.

“Can I ask you something?”

Maria looked up from whatever she was working on. “Sure.”

“Have you noticed something going on between Natasha and Banner.”

She raised her eyebrow, a slight smirk on her lips. “You mean other than them boning? They’re not exactly being subtle.”

“Tony thinks he can get them to tell everyone they’re together,” Steve told her.

She scoffed and looked back down at her tablet. “Good luck with that.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” he chuckled. “I don’t know how long their patience is going to last with him.”

* * *

Tony’s little schemes came to a head a few weeks later when the entire team was gathered together for dinner. Take out boxes were scattered over the island as they all sat around it.

Steve sat at one end, Maria on one side and Bruce on the other. Natasha sat on Bruce’s other side, the two of them having a quiet conversation together. Steve could here bits and pieces, but he was trying not to listen too closely.

Tony sat across the island, watching the two of them quite obviously. When he got that tell tale glint in his eye, Steve knew they were all going to be in for it. Steve nudged Maria and nodded toward Tony just as he started talking.

“So, Bruce,” he said and he just had this tone that had everyone at the table looking between the two of them. “How long is Dr. Cho in town?”

Beside him, Bruce finished chewing before he answered. “I think she’s going back to Seoul at the end of the week.”

He smirked and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Steve knew exactly what he was doing before the words came out of his mouth.

“Is she single?” he asked.

Steve looked over at Natasha and saw her glaring at Tony across the island. She set her fork down which he took as a good sign, but it was anyone’s guess how long her patience might last.

Bruce just chuckled and shook his head. “I wouldn’t know.”

“You should take that chance, buddy,” Tony said. “Put yourself out there.”

Bruce looked over at Natasha and Steve could see his hand on her thigh under the counter.

“I don’t think so,” Bruce finally said, shrugging it off, going back to his meal.

Everyone else followed suit and the weird tension that fell over the room dissipated a little. But of course Tony didn’t know when to let it drop.

“What’s the matter?” He asked, teasingly. “Afraid she’ll turn you down?”

“We’re colleagues,” Bruce said, unamused. “I think that’s for the best.”

“Sure,” Tony winked. “Whatever you say.”

Bruce let out a long sigh, but didn’t say anything else. Steve noticed that Natasha had picked up her fork again and Steve cleared his throat to get Tony’s attention. Tony barely spared him a glance.

“Maybe you should give it a rest.” Maria suggested.

“What?” Tony demanded innocently. “I’m just trying to help my friend get laid. How long has it been?”

Everyone froze at that, eyes shifting to look for some cue on how to react to that statement. Bruce’s muscles were clenched so tightly that Steve was sure he’d snap if he let out the breath he was holding. But before any of them could move or find something to say to diffuse the situation, Natasha’s fork went flying across the island and stuck itself in the back of Tony’s hand.

He screamed and jumped off his stool, cradling his hand to his chest.

Natasha stood as well and headed for the door. Before she left though she turned and glared at Tony and said.

“Two days,” before leaving the room.

Steve’s eyebrows shot up and he heard Bruce snort beside him. Tony’s mouth was wide open as he stared at the door where’d she’d left. It wasn’t exactly confirmation, but it was most likely the best they were going to get.

“Goodnight everyone,” Bruce said before taking his leave as well.

Steve finally let out the laughter that he’d been holding in since the fork went flying and Maria lost it too. Tony just stood there with his mouth hanging open, still cradling his hand.

“I told you to leave them be,” Steve said between chuckles.

He may not agree with his methods, but Steve was glad he was there to see that.


End file.
